Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Written: 2019 - Licia
She had been feeling off for weeks.
At first, she believed it to be stress due to the upcoming winter season- the holidays were always hardest away from Arendelle- but once the holidays arrived and passed, as did the new year, the off-ness she'd been feeling just got worse. By the time she asked for Vanja to stop by, twelve weeks had passed, and it was the middle of the first month of the new year. But that wasn't what concerned her.
She had missed her cycles.
Elsa had always been fairly regular in her menses, going the typical twenty-eight days like most women, and the only time she ever truly missed a cycle was because of major stress. But Elsa hadn't faced that much stress lately; she had been struggling to keep her thoughts from straying to the curse, but other than that, she'd been able to keep busy.
And then there was the constant roiling of her stomach, the near constant need for her to empty it even when there was nothing in it, the hunger and the fatigue. She could go out for a ride with the Nokk in the morning, come back by noon, curl up in the blankets of their bed and sleep until supper, or even until Hans awoke her by when he crawled into bed beside her.
But the thing that had probably upset her the most was when she'd been out at the lake with Honeymaren one afternoon, watching the snowfall, a few days before Christmas, and she'd stood to stretch her legs. Her cousin had giggled, and Elsa had turned to her. The other woman had simply shaken her head, quipping that, "Maybe you should stay away from the the treats, Cousin, you're getting quite the tummy."
It had upset Elsa so much, she'd burst into tears and Honeymaren had quickly apologized; that she hadn't meant it, and that she had only meant to tease. Elsa had apologized for getting so upset, that she didn't know what was wrong with her, and it was then that Honeymaren had suggested speaking with Vanja. The Arendellian-born queen had nodded, saying that she would.
Now she paced the interior of her hut nervously waiting for Vanja to arrive- she'd been out taking care of one of the hunters, who'd gotten into an accident. The flap of the hut's entrance lifted and Vanja entered, causing Elsa to stop pacing. Neither woman spoke for several minutes. And then the older woman made her way towards the chief's niece, reaching out and gently resting her hands against the now very visible swell of Elsa's tummy that was pushing out her tunic.
"Honeymaren said you were worried about sickness and fatigue and missed cycles. I don't think you need to worry, Elsa. They are merely symptoms of pregnancy. And from the looks of it," She glanced at the girl, and she nodded, too stunned to speak. Gently, Vanja lifted the skirt of the tunic she wore. A moment passed, before helped the younger woman out of the ice clothing, setting it gently aside before gesturing for her to slip out of her leggings. Once Elsa was in only her undergarments, Vanja returned her hands to her belly, trailing gently over the skin. "I would say twelve weeks along in your pregnancy, roughly."
"I... wait... what?"
Blue eyes latched onto the woman's dark ones, and gently, Vanja took on her hands, resting it at the top of the swell and slowly moving it down. "There is a little one growing inside you. Most likely conceived in the fall, around the Night of the Spirits, or a couple weeks before. Remember, it takes a couple weeks for fertilization to take place."
Elsa couldn't breathe.
Had... had Vanja just... just told her that... that she was...
She sat among the blankets, and now that she sat, she could see what Vanja meant. There was a noticeable roundness to her middle, a definite slope beginning to form out in front of her. She thought back over what she'd been experiencing the last several weeks- the fatigue, the sickness, the hunger. Fatigue, morning sickness, cravings. Gods, how stupid do you have to be to miss pregnancy symptoms?
Her head lifted as Vanja sat beside her. "I haven't had a cycle because there is no egg to shed, is there?"
"No, there is no egg to shed."
She knew the answer, but hearing Vanja say it brought comfort, and told her that she couldn't deny what was right in front of her. "But... why am I showing now? Is this normal? To show this soon?" The older woman sighed, reaching out and gently laying a hand on her belly.
"Some women show quicker than others in their first pregnancy. Some women don't. It all depends on the woman and her build. You," She reached up, brushing the woman's bangs away. "are quite tall and willowy. Five foot seven, were I to guess?" Elsa nodded. "A woman of your stature will ofttimes show sooner than a woman of shorter stature."
"Oh." She turned her blue gaze to the swell before her, but as hesitant to touch the rounding skin, for fear of it being real, even though she knew it was. It all made sense, especially considering she and Hans had spent a good majority of time before her first missed cycle in October enjoying one of the perks of marriage. Elsa had been pleasantly surprised to find that she quite enjoyed the act of intercourse; from the build up to the actual act to the afterglow. Feeling her husband's thickness as it took up residence within her walls, tasting his kiss, hearing the sound of their skin sliding together, watching his orgasm wash over him- always after hers- were things she absolutely loved about spending time away from the tribe. And they had been doing it a lot lately-
Or, up until twelve weeks ago.
And then suddenly, she didn't have the energy to do much of anything, couldn't hold anything down and yet craved things at the same time, and when she'd stopped bleeding, she'd just assumed it was due to stress. "There's... really a baby in here?" The whispered words were more for herself than Vanja, and after a moment, she reached up, splaying her hand over the swell.
"There is. Were I to make a guess in regards to your delivery date, I would probably say," Vanja stopped, doing the math in her head. If Elsa had conceived twelve weeks ago, roughly, then mid-summer would be when the babe would arrive, meaning she is done with her first trimester and about to start her second. "mid-summer will be when you deliver."
"Mid-summer." The young Snow Queen allowed the word to sink in, before turning back to the healer. "So I have..."
"Six months left, Elsa." Vanja whispered, gently brushing the bangs off the girl's face.
Blue eyes widened, and she let out a soft, "Oh." She bit her lip. "I... I didn't realize I was that... is the baby okay? Can you check, Vanja?"
She opened her mouth to contradict; the tribe did not have the medicinal practices Arendelle had; they relied on ancient teachings that had held up for centuries. There were no fancy machines that doctors used to check the babe; it was all done by feel. She did not rely on expensive medicines in pretty glass bottles, but herbs and their medicinal properties. Vanja was said to have an understanding touch- she could detect how both mother and child were doing by the mere brush of her hand upon skin. Many in the tribe who had birthed children claimed it was her gift.
She nodded. "Of course, Elsa. Lie back." She stood and the young mother did as told. A moment passed, as Vanja grabbed the bowl Bruni often took his snow naps in, but before she could slip out to get water, Elsa waved her hand; it filled halfway, and she smiled softly at the young woman, before grabbing a nearby cloth. "Legs up for me." Gently, she dipped the cloth in the bowl and wrung it out, before she began to gently brush the cloth over the small swell.
"Will I still be able to use my magic?"
Vanja stopped, thinking. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I have never met a pregnant woman with ice powers."
"Oh." Elsa sighed, folding her hands above her belly. They settled in silence again, before, "Will I still be able to do my duties as the Fifth Spirit?"
"I do not see why not. When your mother was queen, did she stop her work when she became pregnant with your sister?"
"I don't think so. I don't know. I don't really remember."
"Yelena did not stop doing her duties as chief when she became pregnant with Honeymaren, nor when she became pregnant with Ryder, until she had to, because she got to close to birth. You are pregnant, not an invalid. Women carry the blood, they continue the lines. It is because of women that the human race exists. A woman had to give birth to the first babe."
Elsa sighed. "Then why do men believe they run the world? I have a friend across the water; Victoria, she is Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Her husband Albert is her Prince Consort. She had a cabinet, but she wears the crown, it is her word that is law, and yet her cabinet still believe they know better and can run the country better than the woman who wears the crown. My council was the same, when I was on the throne of Arendelle. They believed I could not run my kingdom properly because I am a woman. Lord Stockholm even dared to tell me once in a meeting that the only thing I was good for was lying on my back and pushing out children, and that I needed to marry quickly so that my husband could be crowned King and do my job for me. I nearly leapt over the table and strangled him."
Vanja chuckled. "Men seem to have a very... superior attitude about them. They believe that what a woman does is not very difficult, that pregnancy and childbirth is as simple as the wave of a hand. They do not understand that the woman's body changes to accommodate the babe inside, nor the pain a woman must endure as that sacred place between her legs stretches and adapts to allow a not so little human being out into the world. And they dare complain when a woman screams from the pain." She shook her head. "Men do not understand the pain a woman goes through the bring a child into the world, nor do they try to." She gently pressed against Elsa's tummy, focusing on the skin beneath her hands and the baby within.
Neither heard the flap of the hut lift, nor the footsteps. "Vanja, what's... what are you doing here? And... what are you doing to my wife?"
Both women turned to see Hans standing in the doorway, green gaze darting back and forth between the healer and his wife, and then, he noticed what she as doing. Elsa's blue eyes closed, and she sighed. Then, she held out a hand. "It's alright, my love, Vanja is just checking that the baby is okay."
"Oh. That's... that's..." Elsa's blue eyes locked on her husband. "I... I'm sorry, Elsa Dahl, but did you just say that she's... she's checking that the 'baby is okay' or did I imagine that?" A soft smile tugged at her lips.
"You didn't imagine it, Christian." She breathed, stretching out her arm. "Now come here, and say hello to the baby growing inside me."
In a daze, Hans moved to sit beside his wife, taking her hand and bringing it to his cheek. He met her gaze, green eyes filled with shock and surprise. "There's a baby inside you? Truly?" Elsa nodded with a sigh.
"Apparently my symptoms were not due to just stress like I thought." He kissed her palm. "And I am further along than even I expected to be."
Hans furrowed a brow. "How far?"
"Twelve weeks, Hans. She has just finished her first trimester. She will start her second next week." Vanja replied, finishing her examination. She gently patted Elsa's bump, and moved to stand. "And the baby appears to be fine."
"We missed your first trimester." He turned to his wife, horror in his eyes. Elsa rolled her eyes.
"No, you missed it, love. And trust me, there was nothing to miss." She pulled away from him and pushed herself up onto her elbows with a sigh. "Sickness, cravings and fatigue, I was there for all of it." The healer chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, Elsa. You will have more energy in your next trimester. Relish it, because in three months it will be gone." She then stood. "May I suggest raw ginger and mint tea to settle your stomach. It will help with the sickness. If you need me, let me know. And don't worry, I won't say anything until you are ready." And without another word, she left the couple alone.
Hans turned back to his wife, grinning. "What is this look for?" Elsa asked, waving a hand at his face. Without a word, he leaned over, catching her mouth with his in a kiss. Then, without a word, he leaned down, brushing a kiss to her belly as Elsa reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair. As he lifted his head, his eyes lit on the cradle at the back of their hut, and he turned back to his wife.
"It's a good thing I made that cradle then."
She furrowed a brow, confused. "Sorry?"
"Remember when you asked me why I made that cradle?" She nodded. "And I told you that the 'next woman in the tribe to announce her pregnancy would receive the cradle'?"
"I remember. Where are you going with this, Hans?"
He raised an eyebrow and leaned close. "As far as I know, you are the only pregnant woman in the tribe at the moment." He chuckled as his wife groaned softly in annoyance and rolled her eyes before laying back down.
"Remind me to hit you when I get up the energy."
He simply laughed, stretching out beside her and laying a hand to her belly.